My K&M mandrel was custom made at 0.001 smaller than the standard expander mandrel that is made for turning. Tried imperial wax on it, also graphite but couldn't get the neck run out consistently below about 0.004. Then experimented one day and put the decapping pin and expander ball back on my Hornady New Dimension Match Grade bushing die. Used imperial on the ball. Run out immediately fell to ~0.001 - you hardly feel the ball contact the inside of the case neck when the press arm goes up. Just thinking there might be merit in using the expander ball. Normally i wouldn't, I would just use a bushing FLS die or the body die/LCD combination.
What neck tension works best for you in 6.5x47mm Lapua?
- Thread starter kevinbritvec
- Start date
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
I have been using mandrels for thousands of cases. The problem is that just when I have a mandrel that gives ideal neck tension (down to .0001 precision) it starts to wear, and after a 1,000 cases it is done. Making another mandrel to the same exact dimensions is very difficult for most machine shops and grinding shops. So I set to look for a solution.
Pin gages are small tubes 2" long and can be bought for a few dollars and they are available in dimensions as exact as .0001 (+/- .00002). They generally have a 60 to 62 Rockwell hardness, like tool steel. They are ideal for this purpose, all you have to do is bevel the tip.
Well, ... to make a long story short Kenny Porter (Porter Precision Products) made this die for me last week. The collet he used is made for lathes so it holds mandrels perfectly straight. This mandrel die makes all other mandrel die I have seen or bought look primitive.
Regards
Joe
Pin gages are small tubes 2" long and can be bought for a few dollars and they are available in dimensions as exact as .0001 (+/- .00002). They generally have a 60 to 62 Rockwell hardness, like tool steel. They are ideal for this purpose, all you have to do is bevel the tip.
Well, ... to make a long story short Kenny Porter (Porter Precision Products) made this die for me last week. The collet he used is made for lathes so it holds mandrels perfectly straight. This mandrel die makes all other mandrel die I have seen or bought look primitive.
Regards
Joe
Very cool! How much does such a die cost?
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
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